Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Friday, March 11, 2016
Maui: Auditor Undervalues our Garbage
By News Release @ 2:53 AM :: 3738 Views :: Maui County

Auditor's Report States that Requests for More Division Positions Justified

News Release from Office of the Mayor, Maui County, March 9, 2016

Wailuku, Maui - The County Auditor's latest report states that the Maui County Solid Waste Division, which is in charge of landfills and trash pickup, is "generally consistent with other publicly-operated systems." Although the audit noted that costs for Maui County landfills are somewhat higher, it was also acknowledged that the county operates more landfills than other counties with three on Maui, Molokai and Lanai, as well as a fourth in "remotely-located" Hana.

The audit then concluded that the request that the department made for more positions was justified because the division needed to "maintain acceptable levels of regulatory compliance."

The audit also took a look at the county's Integrated Waste Conversion and Energy Project (IWCEP). Unfortunately the audit's findings were skewed because the auditor refused to use the county's evaluation of how much landfill space is worth. The county values each "hypothetical future landfill cell" at $30 a ton, adjusted from $25.50 a ton for a reasonable rate of inflation.

Instead, the auditor uses the value of $13.74 to $15.43 a ton to draw upon his conclusions. Budget and Finance Chair Riki Hokama seized upon this to insinuate that the county's IWCEP would therefore cost taxpayers money, instead of saving them money.

"The anticipated net costs will not exceed the annual or additional costs," said Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa. "In other words the county will not be paying any more than if we were doing this waste to energy project ourselves.

We ask that Councilman Hokama consider this fact, since the county charges commercial operators $90 a ton to landfill their garbage. If the $15 price tag were accurate, wouldn't the county then be ripping commercial customers off considerably if our landfill space was worth less than a quarter of what they are paying?"

Landfills are not just holes in the ground. They need to be engineered to be environmentally sound, not to mention safe for public use as well as staffed by qualified workers. The county asks that the council ponder the true cost of landfills, and what space there is worth, as they take a look at this audit."

---30---

SA: Audit disputes waste facility savings

Council Site: Council looking into missed trash pickups, ocean safety

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT